Lineman&#39;s knife



Feb. 16, 1960 E s, KRAUS, JR 2,924,879

LINEMAN'S KNIFE:

Filed Oct. 21, 1958 LINEMANS KNIFE Eugene S. Kraus, Jr., Media, Pa.Application October 21, 1958, Serial No. 768,675

10 Claims. (Cl. 30-151) This invention relates to a linemans knife.

It has heretofore been common practice for a lineman to carry a numberof tools attached to a body belt and readily accessible while standingon climbers in working position on a pole. Among the tools commonlycarried is a skinning knife having a curved and hooked blade fortrimming insulation and weatherproong from conductors. The conventionalSkinning knife has a blade fixed in a handle, the whole being of alength of the order of ten inches, and a screw eye being provided in theend of the handle for attachment to a snap hook on a' tool holstercarried on the body belt. Such a knife, when suspended on the snap hook,is free to swing with the blade end well below the knee and constitutesa hazard which has resulted in severe injuries to linemen.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide alinemans knife which overcomes the hazards of linemens knives nowavailable, which is simple yet sturdy in construction, and which isadapted for serving all the purposes of the linemens knives heretoforeavailable.

It is a further object of the present inventoin to provide a linemansknife having open and closed positions with provisions for locking theknife in either position or in open position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a linemansknife in which the cutting edge and terminal point, in closed position,are protected against damage and which is safe to carry.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a linemansknife which has additional protective features incorporated therein,particularly in that-it cannot be fastened to the holster snap hookwhile locked in open position. Y

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be morereadily understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a preferred form of linemansknife in accordance with the invention, in closed condition forcarrying;

Fig. 2 is a lonigtudinal sectional view taken approximately on the line2 2 of Fig. 5, and showing the blade in closed position for carrying;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the blade in open positionfor use;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, enlarged, taken approximatelyon the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately onthe line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the linemans knife shown in Fig.1.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges can be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

l United States Patent v end thereof and to a location intermediate theends of the body 10 and providing bifurcated body portions 14.

The body 10 has extending inwardly from the opposite end thereof a bore15, threaded at its outer end 16. The

bore 15 has provided therein a longitudinally disposed portion 10 inintersecting relation to the slot 12, and

intersecting and in engagement with the bifurcations 18. The detent bar21 has enlarged heads 22 on each of the outer ends thereof for manualmanipulation, opposite longitudinal slots 23 in the body 10 permittingof limited movement of the bar 21 and the pin 17 longitudinally of thebody 10, with the spring 19 continuously urging the bar 21 towards theextremities of the slots 23 remote from the plug 20.

A blade 25 is provided of substantially J-shape with a cutting edgehaving a curved outer cutting edge portion 26 terminating at a pointedend part 27 of the blade 25 and with a straight cutting edge portion 28extending therefrom as a continuation ofthe cutting edge portion 26.

The blade 25, at a location intermediate its ends, is

i pivotally mounted in the slot 12 of the body portion 10 by a pivot pin29. Between the pointed end part 27 of the blade 25 and the pivot pin29, and extending inwardly from the edge of the blade 25 on which thecutting edge portion 28 is disposed, a notch 30 can, if locking inclosed position is desired, be provided for selective engagement by thedetent bar 21, bounded in part by a cam surface 30a for guiding thedetent bar 21 into engagement in the notch 30.

The body 10 is provided, along one side edge thereof with a recess 31for the reception of the end part 27 of the blade 25 when the bar 21 isin engagement with the notch 30.

The blade 25, at the other end thereof, and beyond the pivot pin 29 isprovided with a notch 32 which extends inwardly from the same edge ofthe blade 25 on which the cutting edge portions 28 and 26 are provided,and then longitudinally axially of the blade 25 towards the pivot pin29, and isbounded in part by a cam surface 32a for guiding the 'detentbar 21 into engagement in the notch 32.

The blade 25 beyond the notch 32 is provided with an integral terminaleye 33 for engagement by the snap hook (not shown) by which the knife ofthe present invention may be supported in closed position.

The mode of use will now be pointed out.

With the blade 25 in closed position for carrying, as shown in Figs. l,2, 4 and 6, the eye 33 and the portion of the blade 25 contiguousthereto extend outwardly beyond the end of the body portion 12 for easyaccess. The end part 27 of the blade 25 is disposed within the recess 31and the blade 25 is held in fixed position by the engagement of thedetent bar 21 in the notch 30. The detent bar 21 is held in lockingposition by the force Patented Feb. 16, 1960,

3 Y of the spring.Y 19 applied to the detent pin 17 by which the detentbar 21 is carried.

When it is desired to move the blade 25 to a position for use, theenlarged heads 22 of the detent bar 21 are pressed to move the detentbar along the slots 23 to release the. detent bar` 21 from itsengagement in the notch 30. The blade 25 is then swung to the positionillustrated in Fig. 3. As the'blade 25 approaches this position the camportion 32a along the notch 32 forces the detent pin 21 to a position topermit the blade 25 to be moved to its working position and the detentpin 21 then slides into engagement in the notch 32 to hold the blade 25in the working position.

It will be noted that the eyel 33 is disposed completely within the slot12 when the blade 25 is in position for cutting so that the blade 25cannot be mounted on the snap hook (not shown) of the tool holster.

When it is desired to move the blade 25 to closed position, the enlargedheads 22 on the detent bar 21 are again moved along the slots 23 torelease the bar 21 from its engagement in the notch 32. The blade 2S canbe then swung to closed position. As the blade 2S approaches closedposition the cam portion 30a along the notch 30 forces the detent bar 21to a'position to permit the same to engage in the notch 30.l With thedetent bar 21 engaged in the notch 30 the blade 25 is held with its endpart 27 in the recess 31, as before.

I claim:

i 1. A linemans knife comprising an elongated body portion with a slotextending inwardly from one end thereof, a pivot pin carried by saidbody and extending in transversely intersecting relation to said slot,an elongated blade having a portion intermediate its ends pivotallycarried by said pivot pin, said blade at one end and at one side of saidpivot pin having a terminal eye, said blade having a side marginal edgeprovided with a cutting edge portion disposed therealong and extendingfrom the other end, said sidemarginal edge on opposite sides. of saidpivot pin having notches extending inwardly therefrom, a detent barslidably carried by said body in transversely intersecting relation tosaid slot yand movable longitudinally of said body, said detent barbeing selectively engageable in one of said notches for locking saidblade selectively in open and closed positions, and a resilient memberin said body portion for urging said detent bar into locking engagement,said detent bar having portions exteriorly accessible on said bodyportion for releasing movement of the same, said blade in locked closedposition having said terminal eye exteriorly disposed with respect tosaid body and in locked open position having said terminal eye disposedinteriorly with respect to said body.

2. A linemans knife as dened in claim 1 in which said body hasl a recessfor the reception of said other end of said blade in locked closedposition.

3. A linemans knife as defined in claim l in which said blade is of Jshape and said body has a recess for the reception of the other yend ofsaid blade in locked closed position.

4. A linemans knife as. defined in claim 1 in which said body has alongitudinal bore therein extending inwardly from the other end thereofintersecting said slot and said resilient member is disposed therein.

5. A linemans knife as dened in claim 1 in which said body has alongitudinal bore therein extending inwardly from the other end thereofintersecting said slot and a bifurcated pin is provided movable in saidbore and in which said detent bar is carried and with which saidresilient member is in engagement.

6. A linemans knife as defined in claim 1 in which said body has alongitudinal bore therein` extending inwardly from the other end thereofintersecting said slot, a bifurcated rpin is provided movable in saidbore and on4 one end of which said detent bar is carried, said bore hasa compression coil spring therein in engagement with the. other end` ofvsaid detent pin, and a spring abutment plug is provided at 4the outerend of said bore in engagement with` said spring.

7. A linemans knife as defined in claim 1 in which oneA of said notchesextends diagonally inwardly from said side marginal edge andtowards saidpivot pin.

8. A linemans knife as defined in claim l in which the notch adjacentthe terminal eye extends inwardly from said sidemarginal edge and thenlongitudinally of said blade towards said pivot pin.

9. A linemans knife 'comprising` an elongated body portion with a slotextending inwardly from one end thereof, a pivot pin carried by saidbody and extending in transversely intersecting relation to said slot,an elongated blade having a portion intermediate its ends pivotallycarried by said pivot pin, said blade at one end and. at kone side ofsaid pivot pin having a terminal eye, said blade being of substantiallyJ-shape and pointed at the other end and having its concave sidemarginal edge provided with a cutting edge disposed therealong, saidblade on the terminal eye side of said pivot pin having an apertureproximate said side marginal edge, a detent member slidably carried bysaid body, said detent member being engageable in said aperture forlocking said blade in open position, and a resilient member in said bodyportion for urging said detent member into locking engagement, saiddetent member having a portion exteriorly accessible on said bodyportion for releasing movement of the same, said blade in lockedposition having said terminal eye vinaccessibly disposed interiorlylwith respect to said body. f

l0. A linemans knife4 as deiined in claim 9 in which said blade on thepointed end side of said pivot pin has a second aperture proximate saidside marginal edge, vand said detent member is engageable in said secondaperture for selectively locking said blade in closed position.

References Cited in the'iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

